


Musicality

by klutzy34



Series: Jersey Skills [2]
Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Musical Talent
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-12
Updated: 2016-05-12
Packaged: 2018-06-08 00:58:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,677
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6832393
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/klutzy34/pseuds/klutzy34
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Crime solving was not the only way in which they were compatible as Danny finds out when he drops in earlier than expected at the McGarrett household.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Musicality

The parent-teacher conference was meant to be much longer but given that Grace was, even with her streak of teenage rebellion earlier on, an exceptional student in all ways, her teachers had nothing but glowing praise to give and ended up drifting towards the parents of struggling students for longer talks. Once they completed the circuit of classrooms, Grace disappeared off with a group of friends for ice cream and left her parents standing together awkwardly until Rachel receiving a call gave them the excuse they needed to part ways.

He wasn’t supposed to be at Steve’s place for another hour and a half but he didn’t think Steve would mind moving dinnertime up. Early to be, early to be absolutely insane and take a dip in the ocean. Danny didn’t quite understand it, there were plenty of other, better times to swim, including times after the sun had risen, but who was he to argue? Steve was obviously a very different breed and Danny wouldn’t change a single thing, except maybe his reckless runs into danger, about him.

Parking next to the Silverado, he shuffled inside, tossing his keys on the table and setting the grocery bags on the counter, starting to remove the ingredients for the pasta. The silent house wasn’t unusual, not when Steve seemed to have a desire to keep moving all the time (which Danny was fond of on his custodyless weekends), so he thought nothing of it until he heard the gentle strum of a guitar, chords wafting through the open kitchen window.

Immediately, the rustling of bags stopped and Danny stood frozen, head tilted, eyes closing. Instruments were never his strongest point but he could pick up on the soft, almost loving way the notes seemed to be played, a little unsure, a little rusty, but growing stronger, more confident. 

Like he was enchanted by the Pied Piper, Danny moved from the kitchen to the living room, then to the study where he came to lean against the lanai’s open door, just listening, not wanting to interrupt. Steve sat on the edge of one of the lanai’s chairs, bent over the guitar, eyes closed and face relaxed, head tilted just enough that he seemed to be entranced by his own music. It was then that Danny recognized the song. _Bon Jovi?_ As thoroughly unimpressed Steve seemed to be by one of Danny’s favorite musicians, he was the last person he ever expected to hear one of his songs out of.

Suddenly the lanai door budged that extra sticky inch and Danny stumbled out into the open, just managing to keep his feet and not faceplant on the ground. Steve jumped up from the chair, whirling around with the guitar slightly behind him as if trying to hide from Danny what he’d just been up to, which left him in an awkward position. “That was, uh, wow. That was really nice for a guy who hasn’t picked up a guitar since his voice broke,” he stated, hands out to his sides. 

“I was just...I mean, you bought it for me and it wasn’t cheap so I thought I should at least...once, you know,” Steve stated, idly rubbing the back of his neck as he stared at the buttons on Danny’s shirt, under moderate strain from his broad chest, instead of meeting his eyes. 

Danny stepped towards him, snapping his fingers gently to get him to look up. The trauma of that high school talent show still had more of a sway on Steve than he liked to let on and it didn’t deserve to. “Come on, sit,” Danny commanded, gently tapping the back of Steve’s knee with his shoe to get him to bend it and do just that. Giving him a strange look, Steve sunk back onto the chair’s edge, bringing the guitar back up to rest across his legs so it didn’t smack against the ground. 

“So, here, look. You, my stage frightened friend, are obviously still reliving the days that do not matter once real life takes hold. I mean, honestly, you’re a badass Navy SEAL. I don’t think a person around here sees you on TV and goes, ‘hey, he froze on stage during the talent show.’ No, they’re thinking how intimidating you are, disliking your authoritative nature because they are not so much for authority themselves, or wondering what’s in your pants,” Danny stated, “but I understand that things like that are,near impossible to let go of.” He tapped his temple. “Scrapbook of my most mortifying moments right here, in full color and just as vivid as the day they happened so yeah, I, uh, get it.”

Steve drummed his fingers lightly on the guitar’s edge, face screwed up in impatience. “Where are you going with this, Danny?” he asked. 

“I’m saying if you finish that song, I’m gonna show you something about myself that only…” Danny trailed off, mentally counting on his fingers. It didn’t take long. “Three people on this island know about. Huh, I thought that was a bigger number. Anyway,” he added, casually waving a hand in the air, “please continue and you will only receive encouragement from this corner, not judgement.”

Steve snorted softly, which earned a dirty look from Danny, but he positioned his fingers on the strings and after a moment of hesitation where he visibly psyched himself back up, he started to play softly again. Danny closed his eyes, tilted his head, arms crossing over his chest as he found a good place to jump in. “ _I’ll be there for you, I’d live and I’d die for you, steal the sun from the sky for you. Words can’t say what a love can do. I’ll be there for you._ ” 

The last time he’d sung had been at Charlie’s bedside while his son recovered from surgery, the medication not able to entirely help the discomfort his son was on. He’d sung him an old lullabye that his grandmother sung to his father and that his mother had learned and sung to them and it seemed to ease him into a tentative sleep. His voice was soft and husky, lingering traces of his Jersey accent around the edges. Nothing real special, he thought, aside from carrying a tune, but when he opened his eyes, Steve stared back at him with a confused brow crinkle.

“What, was that it? Did I come in at the end?” Danny asked. “That was pretty damn good, buddy. Leave it to you not to fall of the bike trying to ride it after all these years. It’s ridiculous. I do have to ask though, why the song choice? I thought you weren’t a fan of my homeland’s greats.”

Steve set the guitar aside, propping it against the chair’s arm as he rose to his feet, rubbing his arm. “I wanted to surprise you on our anniversary,” he explained casually, shrigging.

Danny ventured a small grin. “Did I break up a classified mission?” he asked, reaching out to grab the front of Steve’s t-shirt. Steve reluctantly stumbled forward, looking for all the world like a petulant child. “Steven, you still surprised the hell out of me when I got here. Maybe not the best song for an anniversary because it’s begging for another chance, but the chorus, I certainly appreciate that sentiment.” He held up a hand. “I expected that thing to be gathering dust in your closet, not you making me want to pull off my shirt and toss it in stage.”

That earned a wide grin from Steve. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.” And with that, Danny flicked open a few buttons of his shirt, grabbed Steve’s hand and tugged him towards the lanai door. “C’mere, you adorable lug. Let me show you what I think of your playing.”

\------------

Danny sat in bed, the sheet discreetly covering him - which didn’t matter when it came to who saw, as Steve already got the full show, but while eating? - as he dug his fork into his bowl and pulled out a piece of teriyaki chicken. Steve wiggled his toes where his feet where propped up on Danny’s thigh, chewing thoughtfully as he stared across the room.

“How did I not know you could sing?” he asked after a beat, that confused look returning again. Danny swore that a man that lethal shouldn’t have been able to look like a puppy in need of a cuddle, but somehow Steve managed to achieve it easily. 

“Because sometimes it takes you a while to find out things about a person, Steven. That’s what one does in a relationship, discover little pieces of their partner along the way,” he stated around a mouthful of food, swinging the fork around by way of emphasis. “And also, I doubt fronting a band would have made it into your super duper all encompassing Navy intelligence background check if I was never really mentioned by name. Though I still don’t know how you found out about my minor in college either.”

“Band,” Steve echoed softly. He set his bowl aside, eyes closing as he rest his hands under his head. “Rock band?”

“Mmmmhmmm.” Danny made a sound of muffled agreement.

Steve’s toes wiggled again, brushing against Danny’s arm, the light sensation sending a pleasurable tingle through his body. “I’m picturing you in ripped jeans, t-shirt, sneakers. A real angry punk.”

Danny laughed quietly, spearing broccoli out of the bowl. “Hair cut down close on the sides, kind of like a mowhawk. Rebel against the establishment kind of guy. Thankfully I kicked that phase before college ended. I still have and can fit into those jeans though.”

Steve’s toes stopped wiggling and Danny glanced down to see his head lifted off the bed, one eye open to peer at Danny. “Do you now?” he queried casually. 

Danny smirked as he chewed. “Maybe even here in Hawaii.” 

Steve closed his eyes and settled in again, grinning. “Bring those this weekend,” he murmured, looking incredibly pleased with whatever he was picturing. “I feel a rebellion coming on.”


End file.
